DOH, two others thumb down using frogs and fishers to eliminate dengue-carrying mosquitoes
Frogs and fishes to eliminate dengue-carrying mosquitoes? No, thanks, said the Department of Interior and Local Government ( DILG), Department of Health and Department of Environment and Natural Resources ( DENR).
In a joint statement, they said "scientific solutions will solve complex problems like dengue."
"Releasing invasive species of frogs and fish is not the scientific solution," they added.
This could result in destroying the ecological balance and cause other adverse health issues, they said.
"To do so would risk human health, and may also destroy ecological balance leading to other worse problems in the natural environment, like issues in food supply," said the agencies.
The three agencies reiterated that the main solution against dengue is to destroy mosquito breeding sites.
"The main solution to the dengue problem is vector control, that is, to destroy the breeding grounds of these mosquitoes," they said.
The DOH, DILG, and DENR issued the statement after a barangay in Quezon City recently released hundreds of frogs to help its anti-dengue campaign.
As of July 2, there were 65,190 dengue cases, 83 percent higher than 35, 715 during the same period last year. DMS
